Leslie Martinez
Leslie lives, works, and plays in Portland and can think of nowhere else to call home. She can often be found enjoying a concert or dining at one of the city's many destinations. Leslie is always looking to make an impact and improve her community. Previously, Leslie served on the ambassador boards of local nonprofits, College Possible & Impact NW. Leslie is an inclusive and skilled facilitator and has experience collaborating with cross-functional teams to achieve desired results.
Tia Palafox
Community Engagement Subcommittee Co-Chair
Tia Palafox is a retired K-12 School Counselor from the Eugene School District. She worked as a detention Group-worker at Skipworth Detention Center (Lane Co. Youth Services) meeting police with the youth about to be detained to complete intake and work with the youth throughout their detention; as well as an Employment Specialist/ youth counselor for teens who dropped out of school at Looking Glass Job Center (Eugene), while working on her bachelor’s degree in Human Services at UO in the early 90’s, she knew that she had a passion working with and serving youth who were really struggling. Tia worked in non-profit agencies that were youth centered, until she returned to get her master’s degree at OSU to become a School Counselor, she was hoping to be more on the prevention side, after building so many skills in intervention. While working towards her master’s degree in School Counseling in the late 90’s, her & her spouse at the time became treatment foster parents for SCAR Jasper Mountain Center and she became a Qualified Mental Health Assistant. She volunteered for several family & youth centered non-profit organizations in Eugene over the years. Once obtaining her master’s degree, she became a School Counselor in 1998, starting off in rural Harrisburg, OR, then shortly after began working for the Eugene 4J School District. While at 4J she made a commitment to equity & inclusion and became a leader for the Minority Student Achievement Network to “close the achievement gap”; attended hours of Center for Equitable Education trainings and became a leader for Taking It Up, the second part of the CFEE training. She volunteered for Centro Latino Americano and helped educate immigrants on their rights when stopped by law enforcement. Tia became specialized in suicide intervention & prevention while working with Lane County Mental Health & Public Health, as a School Counselor. She completed the Initial Administrative program in Education at UO in 2009 and focused on alternative education. In December 2009 Tia had a massive stroke, which caused her to have a brain injury & disability. Becoming disabled didn’t stop her, she continued to stay active in her community and returned to work as soon she was released to do so. She said that she was able to have a new lens on accessibility and empathy for others with a disability. Tia retired from the 4J School District and moved to Portland in 2017. She began volunteering at Buckman Elementary School (PPS); as well as at Rahab’s Sisters, a small program that serves marginalized unhoused women, as soon as she moved here. She has been getting very involved with Portland’s unhoused community and is passionate about social & racial justice and mental health & wellness for our community members. Tia is very involved with her niece and nephew, who both attend Jefferson High School, and are the most important people in her life. She enjoys traveling, especially to Mexico.
Ashley Schofield
Full-Committee Co-Chair
Ashley grew up in the Metro area, but later went to school and worked in larger cities including places like Boston, Washington DC, and San Francisco, before moving back to the Pacific Northwest to raise her family in 2017. During the day, Ashley works for Metro's Government Affairs and Policy Development team. Her other full-time job is being a mother to her six-year-old son who is a 1st grader in PPS district, where she is an active volunteer currently serving as the Racial Equity and Social Justice Chair of the PTA board. In her free time, Ashley is a community volunteer. Currently, she is the team leader for her neighborhood's Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET). Through that work, her mission is to create community resiliency through community connections. One example Ashley did to put this in practice was by helping to build a community garden through resources donated by neighbors to make a Home Forward apartment complex more connected to their neighbors living up in the West Hills. Ashley is also an active volunteer and former employee for Beacon Village, a nonprofit that has built a transitional housing shelter and provides warm meals to our unhoused neighbors.
Odelia Zuckerman
Community Engagement Subcommittee Co-Chair
Odelia (she/her) is a resident of Northeast Portland. She has called Portland home for the past seven years. She attended school in Los Angeles where she received a degree in philosophy and politics. She currently works in the field of violence prevention, educating youth in topics of consent and boundaries through an anti-oppression lens.
Jorge Sanchez Bautista
Jorge Sanchez Bautista is a community organizer and a high school student at McDaniel (formerly known as James Madison). He is Mexican-American and Native American, with his family coming from the Mexican states of Jalisco and Yucatan. For the past year, Jorge has done work related to youth involvement, equity, gun violence, climate change, transportation justice, and more. He currently works for Portland Parks and Recreation, working with youths ages 3-15, and at Portland State University under the Department of Community and Civic Impact. Jorge currently sits on other boards such as the New Portlanders Policy Commission and the OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon Board of Directors. He brings to the committee the youth voice, expertise as a BIPOC community organizer, and advocate.
Kyle Robinson
Kyle Robinson is a passionate advocate for justice reform and community empowerment. Raised in Nashville and having resided in New York City, Kyle brings a unique perspective shaped by diverse experiences. From a young age, Kyle has been deeply involved in victim's rights advocacy, predominantly serving the unjustly incarcerated. He is driven by a commitment to ensuring justice and support for those affected by crime. Throughout his journey, Kyle has tirelessly worked to amplify silenced voices within the penal system, spearheading initiatives such as the Amplified Silence Project and the Adolescent Redemption Project.
In addition to his advocacy work, Kyle has dedicated years to serving the unsheltered population of NYC with Backpacks for the Street, Meals on Wheels, as well as other food and shelter initiatives. Kyle is committed to empowering individuals disenfranchised by the justice system. His volunteer service and professional endeavors reflect his commitment to fostering trust, and understanding within communities and advancing toward more cooperative relationships within communities.
Kyle's vision for a more equitable and inclusive society extends to his involvement in organizations such as Beyond The Wall Toastmasters(a club dedicated to helping returning citizens improve their capacity to lead and serve). Through his work, Kyle seeks to support the policing process, so as to streamline the system, prioritizing the health, safety, and well-being of all individuals.
Kip Silverman
Settlement & Policy Subcommittee Co-Chair
I am a Technologist, an Activist, and Father to three incredible human beings.
Portland has been my home for nearly 25 years, and I have been committed to doing what I can to make it a more livable and equitable city for all.
I am passionate about community, collaboration, and inclusivity.
In my professional and personal capacities, I am known to creatively solve complex problems working to ensure that all voices are heard, especially voices that often are pushed to the margins. I have been actively working on issues of home/houselessness and food security/hunger for over a decade.
I strongly believe that transparency and accountability are intrinsic in the relationship between government entities and the public.
I hope to use my knowledge and experience to work with my fellow PCCEP members and Portland's communities to keep everyone engaged and have their voices heard.
Kerry Driver
Kerry Driver lived and worked in Asia for more than 20 years before calling Portland, Oregon her home in 2021. During her time in China and Singapore, Kerry ran a business, worked and volunteered for non-profits, and managed diplomacy campaigns, amongst other adventures. Portland, Oregon is the first place Kerry’s lived with her teen children in America, and Kerry is excited to be involved in PCCEP as a new active, invested resident and community member.
DaVante' Minnieweather
DaVante', an Oregon native from Portland, takes pride in being a husband and father of three boys. With a decade of experience assisting underrepresented and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in Oregon, including the BIPOC community and individuals with disabilities, he currently holds a full-time position at the Oregon Department of Human Services. There, he aids Oregonians in accessing state Medicaid and a host of self-sufficiency programs. Concurrently, he is a dedicated student at Portland Community College, with plans to transfer to Portland State University in 2025 to pursue a dual major in Political Science and Criminal Justice. As a member of both Phi Theta Kappa and The National Society of Leadership and Success honor societies, he is determined to gain admission to law school and pursue a career as an attorney.